BIOSENSORS NOW

9 Jan 2003

BIOSENSORS NOW DARPA has launched a "crash research program" to build a radar-esque sensor for spotting biotoxins, Global Security Newswire says. Agents like anthrax have unique optical and electromagnetic signatures, which the "Spectral Sensing of Bio-Aerosols Program" hopes to rely on to quickly identify the agents.As I wrote six weeks ago for Tech Central Station, there is already "spectral sensing" research underway -- including an Office of Naval Research-funded study at the University of Wisconsin. But these programs are far from perfect. For the moment, Wisconsin's "terahertz imaging" system can only analyze toxins that are 10 meters away or less.